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Make-up Brush Guide

July 20, 2020 | Articles | Leave a Comment

brush guideBuying make-up brushes can be a daunting task, especially if you’re just starting out or you want to add to your existing collection but don’t really know what brushes you may need, what they’re used for, or what they look like.  This is where a brush guide comes in handy.

There are a few essential brush ‘must haves’ that should be in your make-up kit. If used correctly, these brushes will help you create flawless, beautifully applied make-up: powder brush, blush brush, eye shadow brush, blending brush, angled brush, eyeliner brush, mascara wand and a lip brush.

To help you decide which brushes you may want or what you still need to get, here’s a make-up brush guide, showing what each brush looks like, and what it’s used for.

Foundation Brush.  A flat brush usually with two-toned bristles. Can also be round with a flat top. Used for applying liquid or cream foundation, or to smooth out foundation after applying it with your fingers.


Concealer Brush
Concealer Brush. A narrow, flat brush with a slightly tapered edge. Used for applying colour corrector and concealer to problem areas.



Powder Brush.  A big, soft, rounded brush. Used for applying loose or compact powder.  Gives a more even finish than a puff.



Fan Brush. A flat, light brush with splayed bristles. Used to brush away loose eye shadow or excess powder.



Kabuki Brush. A large brush with wide, round or flat bristles and a short handle. For apply mineral powder or loose powder by using a circular motion to buff it onto your skin. Can also be used to apply liquid foundation.



Mineral Powder Brush.  Looks similar to a blush brush, but has a flat top. Used to apply mineral foundation using a circular motion.



Angled Brush.  A firm, angled brush. Used for
filling in eyebrows with brow powder or eye shadow.  Can also be used to apply gel eyeliner for a thicker line.



Eyebrow Brush & Eyelash comb.  Narrow row of long, stiff bristles with a comb on the opposite side. The bristled brush is used to groom or brush eyebrows.  The comb is used to remove mascara clumps from eye lashes.



Eyeshadow Brush. A small, soft brush with a slightly rounded or angled tip. Used to apply powder and cream eye shadows.



Blending Brush.  Oval shaped brush. Used to blend eye shadows together after applying with an eye shadow brush, for a seamless gradient.



Eyeliner Brush. Narrow, pointed tip.  Looks like a small paint brush. Used for applying liquid or gel eyeliner or shadow as a liner.



Mascara Brush.  Clean, dry mascara wand. Used for brushing out mascara clumps and separating lashes after mascara has been applied with wand in mascara tube. For more info, see post “Mascara: How to be clump free“.


contouring brush
Contouring Brush.  Angled blusher brush. Used for applying a darker blush or contouring powder along the hollow under your cheekbone.  Also used for bronzer.



Blush Brush.  Soft, rounded brush, smaller than a powder brush. Used to apply blush to your cheekbones.



Lipstick Brush.  Small, flat, firm brush with tapered tip. For applying lipstick.


Other useful make-up tools:


Cosmetic sponge or wedge. Used to apply foundation, but will absorb lots of product.  Rather run wedge lightly over foundation (if applied with fingers) to blot excess.  Use to tidy up under eyes after applying eye shadow, eyeliner or mascara. Can also be used to correct blusher. See post “Beautiful Blusher”.



Beauty Blender. Similar to a cosmetic sponge or wedge. Used damp for applying liquid or cream foundation.



Eye shadow applicator. Used for smudging eyeliner.



Cotton bud or Q-Tip. For cleaning up smudges or mistakes.  Dip into eye make-up remover to clean up smudged eyeliner or lipstick.



Powder Puff. Pat powder over concealer on blemishes and problem areas, this will set the concealer.  Can be used to apply powder to an oily skin. For more, see post “Powder:  Loose or Pressed?”


Good brushes may be expensive but if you take good care of them, they can last for years.  If you’re looking for a great starter set, check out Real Techniques’ Core Collection Set, also be sure to read my next post: “How to clean make-up brushes”.

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About

Debbie is a qualified nail technician and freelance make-up artist, based in Army Bay, Whangaparaoa (Auckland).

Debbie studied nail technology at Monaco Nail Academy (qualified in 2015), and uses the Artistic Nail Design range which includes Colour Gloss gel polish, Artistic Putty (also known as PolyGel), and Rock Hard LED Gel.

Debbie also holds CIBTAC and ITEC qualifications in make-up artistry, and obtained these in 2010 and 2012 respectively.

Disclaimer

I do not receive monetary compensation for any of the product reviews posted on my blog. All reviews are based on my own personal opinion after purchasing and using the products myself.

If I am approached by a company to review a product for them at any time (or am paid to do so), this will be mentioned in the relevant post. Being given free products, or being paid to promote a product will not change my personal honest opinion of the product.

Please bear in mind that every body is unique, and although I may not have an allergic reaction to the make-up or skincare products that I have reviewed, your skin may react differently. Wherever possible, please patch test new make-up and skincare products on yourself before purchasing them.

Thank you,
Debbie
Rambling Rose Nails & Make-up

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“According to all known laws of aviation, there “According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. It's wings are too small to get its fat little body off the ground. The bee, of course, flies anyway, because bees don't care what humans think is impossible.” - The Bee Movie

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Ever wondered why certain mall/chain salons are so Ever wondered why certain mall/chain salons are so cheap? ... If you're happy going to one of those, you probably don't want to know the real answer!

Do you prefer to pay a little more for good quality product that won't wreck your natural nails, or are you happy with cheap and nasty?

#nicenailsaintcheapandcheapnailsaintnice #nicenails #goodqualitymanicure #yougetwhatyoupayfor #ramblingrosenails #monacograd #debbiepagewood #nailextensions #gelpolishmanicures #gelpolishnailart #polygelextensions #acrylicextensions #nastynails #cheapnailsaintnice
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It doesn't have to be bold or arty, simple and elegant works, too.

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New year, new name ... but don't worry, we're stil New year, new name ... but don't worry, we're still in the same place.

You may start seeing a few changes on our social media and website over the next few days or weeks.  We're changing the name of the salon and will try to make the switch over as seamless as possible, but please bear with us (and feel free to  let us know) if any links you try to use don't work.  There may be one or two that we accidentally miss during the change over, or it make a few days (or weeks) for Google to fully update all the changes.
Pantone's Colours of the Year for 2021 - yellow an Pantone's Colours of the Year for 2021 - yellow and grey

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May 2021 be a much better year than 2020 was.

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Wishing all my clients a very merry Christmas. A h Wishing all my clients a very merry Christmas. A huge thank you for all the support throughout this year, it really is appreciated! 

Kindly note that the salon will be closed from 1pm on the 24th December 2020 and will re-open at 8am on the 19th January 2021.  If you'd like to book an appointment for 19th January onwards, kindly use the online booking system (link in bio). Thank you.

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